Greenville Scene

photo: Daniel McCord

by: Michelle Hannon

Saturday night’s show at Clemson’s Hendrix Student Center was one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve attended in a long while for several reasons. One is that I didn’t have to take a shower when I got home so as not to infect my sheets or my own lungs with the putrid stench of cigarette smoke seeping from my skin and hair. It was nice to see a show where the focus was completely on the music, not distracted by the sale of beer. But that is a luxury that WSBF FM can afford since they are school-funded, (it’s also how the show was free.)

The second reason this show was good was that Austin Webb, the night’s first opener took the stage only 30 minutes later than the promised start time. This is a feat few venues may accommodate (or choose to accomodate.) I had heard good things about this young man, and I could see why once he began playing Freedom That’s Peace. There were obvious positive elements and negative elements to the performance. What is obvious is that this young man (only 18 years old), has a good singing voice and writes lyrics which are better than most I’ve heard from anyone in the songwriter scene in Greenville. That being said, he still needs to work on keeping a steady tempo and singing with sincerity. The latter could be helped by not singing in such a breathy manner. He hesitantly played a song that he claimed he had been working on for months. I believe it was called October and I honestly thought it was the best song of his set.

Plucking and strumming her viola like a guitar, Marla Hansen delivered the most fragile performance of the night. The crowd sat on the floor indian-style like they were listening to story-time instead of a concert. I must say that the crowd was great though. Everyone listened respectfully and excitedly cheered after every song. I particularly enjoyed Marla’s understated personality especially considering the fact that she has performed or played on records by Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Jay-Z, and Kanye West.

It was a pleasure to finally see Denison Witmer after being a fan for several years. His careful, quiet performance was exactly what I would expect from a man who writes a song about his grandmother, knits, and is rocking a sweet cardigan. Although he claimed that his aim was to have the whole crowd asleep by the end of his performance, nothing of the sort was going to happen. He played several favorites from his newest album “Are You A Dreamer” including Little Flowers, California Brown and Blue and Grandma Mary as well as Steven from the newly re-released “Safe Away” and Chestnut Hill from “Philadelphia Songs.” I think he was a bit surprised to find that the crowd was actually littered with fans who requested such oldies as Paper Doll (which he played as his last song of the encore), from “The 80’s EP” of 2001.

I couldn’t ask for more really. The show was not too long nor too short, started at a decent time, was free, and the air was clean. Thank you WSBF for hosting such a fine event.

by: Daniel McCord

As the sun nestled into the trees surrounding Clemson Monday evening, the new freshman class were returning from the welcome back activities to find quite possibly the best (if not the first) indie rock show of their young lives, whether they knew it or not. Maybe there was some indie pop and folk thrown in for variety, but we won’t get technical.

The turnout was heavy on Bowman Field, with everyone lounging in the grass, giving the concert a festival feel. Dave Dondero ushered in the evening with his soulful storytelling on songs like “Rothko Chapel” and “South of the South.” Dondero attended Clemson almost two decades ago, forming rock band Sunbrain and later playing drums for This Bike is a Pipe Bomb. His recent songs give a certain credibility to the singer-songwriter oeuvre, forcing listeners to believe that he’s lived the tales of which he sings. With a single acoustic guitar, borrowing stylistically from classic country, and a gritty yet dulcet vocal presence, Dondero was able to take the young crowd down roads they’ve yet to travel.

Athens’ Elf Power took the stage next, with a promise of higher energy, even in the sweltering summer heat. They turned the tone of the night towards rock with their guitar-laced psychedelic sounds. Andrew Rieger’s smooth vocals charmed the crowd and Heather McIntosh’s fingers lit up the night, both on cello and keys. With a very tight sound, songs like “Back to the Web” hypnotized the crowd and brought them closer to the stage. McIntosh’s masterful cello gave the band the depth it needed, alternating between silky harmonies and violent wailings reminiscent of Cursive’s better days.

The Rosebuds, who hail from Raleigh but are no strangers to Clemson, brought their catchy, synth-fueled indie pop to Bowman Block Party yet another year. And boy, have they grown! For listeners used to the singalong acoustic stylings of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, the new album is a swift kick in the pants. Crisp’s synths have taken a domineering post, inspiring dancing in all who listen. Of course, they brought back old school classics “Back to Boston” and “Boxcar,” but they also rocked out new songs like “Get Up Get Out.” The Rosebuds brought down the metaphorical house when they closed their set by inviting any and all members of the crowd onstage with them to sing backup on “I Better Run.”

Last but not least was Clemson’s own By’r Lady, burning the midnight oil – literally. The three-piece rockers sounded polished as always, playing old favorites and new songs such as – actually – “The New Song.” Dwight Hutchenson’s vocals were a pleasant lullaby as the night wore down, and Ben Shealy split vocal duty on a few songs, including a cover of Donovan’s “Riki Tiki Tavi.” Even drummer Jason Walter joined in, speeding up things with a fun cover of Richard Hell and the Voidoids’ “Love Comes in Spurts.” By’r Lady closed down the evening with their breakdown-laden “Bellyache,” and all was well in the city of Clemson.

by: Jennifer Bacon

Relatively new to playing live, High Valley Acoustics has made a quick ascent into the Greenville music scene. Having now appeared at such venues as The Handlebar, Connolly’s Irish Pub, Sharkey’s Pub, Oysters on the West End and Coffee Underground, High Valley Acoustics latest performance found them dazzling restaurant goers at Brick City Grille with their musical wiles.

While normally an upscale eating establishment, Brick City Grille was transformed into a music hall this past Friday night, complete with disco ball and dizzying psychedelic lights that swam around the room. Cheesy, yes, but it lent some ambience in an otherwise normal bar and grill and provided a colorful backdrop to the band’s equally transcendent jams.

The quartet includes founding members Lorn Clark and Adam Reese, two former roommates with a passion for songwriting and jamming. Adam’s new bride and longtime friend of the duo, Jenny Reese, plays keyboards and sings a sweet harmony to Clark’s strong vocals. Their elegant blend of vocals could be heard most notably on their original Sweeten Your Taste, a somber ballad with heartfelt lyrics and haunting guitar licks. Brand new to the band is Todd Campbell, the drummer whose rhythms lift the band from its simpler roots of acoustic guitars, to one full of sound and percussion. Without a bass player, High Valley Acoustics relies on the drummer for that rhythmic fill, one that Campbell delivers.

At its core, High Valley Acoustics is a straightforward rock and roll band. What’s impressive is their vast number of original songs. Clark and Adam Reese, who have been writing together for years, share Songwriting duties. Their unique interpretations of covers such as Peter Gabriel’s Your Eyes, and The Rolling Stone’s Gimme Shelter are refreshing and welcome. Other covers include Tom Petty, Oasis and U2.

While still new to the Greenville scene, this night at Brick City Grille shows a band that is quite comfortable in their collective skin. The play between lead guitarist Adam Reese and Clark’s acoustic rhythm guitars shows years of collaborating and practice, while Jenny Reese’s backing vocals and keyboards offer fullness to the overall sound.

HVA had some members of the crowd up and dancing, but had everyone listening and smiling. For such a relatively young band, they command quite a presence onstage. Check them out on myspace and their website: www.highvalleyacoustics.com.

by: Tiffany Heuser

Josh Montgomery’s dream of playing in front of a million strangers was not realized Thursday night. Instead, as the last act at Greenville’s beloved O-cha Tea Bar, Josh Montgomery played to a space packed out with many friends.

Having not seen Josh Montgomery perform in quite some time, I was unsure of what to expect. He pleasantly surprised me with his improvements over the last year. Impressing the crowd, his fingers picked adeptly at the guitar strings while his strong vocals were accentuated by his generous range.

A skillful ability to adapt songs from many genres was displayed as he covered not only the typical acoustic guitarist’s covers (Jack Johnson, John Mayer, etc.) but also songs from different genres including, but not limited to, Elvis’s “Blue Christmas”, Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose”, Gnarles Barkley’s “Crazy” and even Disney’s “Under The Sea”, each song taking on Josh Montgomery’s unique sound. And yes, he does a good impersonation of Sebastian the Crab.

Donning aviators and breaking out his electric guitar, Josh Montgomery promised the crowd, “I’m going to shred your mind!” And that he did. Standing on tables and lying on the floor, he played “Bluer”, the song that won him Guitar Center’s King of the Blues contest.

Despite Josh Montgomery’s knack of transforming songs and making them his own, there were more covers than songs from his own pen. Having two CDs and seven new songs on the way, surely this songwriter could showcase some well-written tunes. The audience seemed not to mind, however, as Josh Montgomery, joined by local singer/songwriter Jacob Johnson and King of the Blues judge Mike Culp, covered yet another song. The applause was copious.

A pre-recorded applause track was humorous at first, but after a few artificial “He’s so amazing’s”, it became wearisome. Sometimes, a twenty year old guy playing his guitar in room full of adoring teenage girls can get a little confident. On occasion, a natural boyishly immature side comes out, particularly when interacting with the fans, but when Josh Montgomery focuses on playing his guitar, immature is the last word that comes to mind.

http://www.myspace.com/joshmontgomery
http://www.purevolume.com/joshmontgomery